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By Marice RichterReuters • Wednesday February 6, 2013 2:06 PM

Boy Scouts of America board members today delayed until May a vote on whether to end a
longstanding and controversial ban on gay membership.

The century-old youth organization had been expected to vote on the matter at a board meeting
in Dallas. The Boy Scouts upheld the ban just last year but faced sharp criticism from gay rights
groups.

“After careful consideration and extensive dialogue within the scouting family, along with
comments from those outside the organization, the volunteer officers of the Boy Scouts of America’s
National Executive Board concluded that due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs
time for a more deliberate review of its membership policy,” the Boy Scouts said in an emailed
statement.

In the interim, the board will continue its consultations with other scouting representatives
and will take up the matter at its national council meeting in May.

The Boy Scouts touched off fierce lobbying by groups both for and against changing the policy
when it said late last month that it was considering removing the national restriction based on
sexual orientation and leaving the decision to local chapters.

The national executive board, which lists more than 70 members, has been meeting privately
since Monday at a hotel near Boy Scouts headquarters in Irving, Texas. The Boy Scouts released no
details about the deliberations yesterday.

Many local chapters have said they were waiting for the board to render a verdict before
weighing in, and a coalition of 33 councils that represent about one-fifth of all youth members has
asked the board to delay the vote for more study.